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Title: Learning Curve
Author: GW Katrina aka![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
icedark_elf
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters/Pairing: Rufus, implied Zack/Rufus
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 742
Warnings: It's got Zack. And it's mostly canon based. Trust me, not happy.
Summary: Live is a learning curve.
A/N: I blameqc_heartless for helping me get an addiction for Zack/Rufus, and I was so very happy when elvaron wrote Zack/Rufus for a challenge I tossed her way. So, blame them for getting me even more addicted to the shiny that is Zack/Rufus.
This uses the word prompt "Cookie Dough" from the giant list o' words my flist tossed at me. Love you too, you overachievers.
Learning Curve
Rufus Shinra is being groomed.
He is being taught to look at people as things, puppets, toys, really. He will take over the company, and, when that happens, he will be taking over the world.
Mostly, he listens to his father, though he despises the man, with his gluttony and his willingness to give in on the strangest of things. That is no way to run the world. Rufus isn’t sure of any other way to do it, but he is sure that there is a better way.
He was ten when he decided he was going to find a better way.
He was fifteen when he found out he liked cookie dough.
It was startling, really. There had been yet another assassination attempt, and he found himself under guard. Not by the Turks, oh, no those were his father’s toys.
No, Rufus found himself forced to deal with loud, obnoxious SOLDIERs. He had complained, of course, and was ignored. By then, he was already wearing his typical white, accepting his place in the world.
He was used to being treated like he was special, important, and untouchable.
Then Zack started to ruffle his hair.
It was…irritating.
But he really couldn’t get rid of the man, and he refused to follow any direct orders. Zack had been injured during a monster hunt, and being one of the highest ranked SOLDIERs who were on the light injuries list, he was assigned as Rufus’s primary bodyguard.
Things continued to build until, one night, Rufus finally lost his temper at the man.
Zack had calmly looked at him, then shoved a spoonful of cookie dough into his mouth, and calmly told Rufus he wasn’t any better than anyone else and he could just deal with it. Both experiences were new.
The man was completely unafraid of him.
It…was a unique experience.
Rufus couldn’t decide if he hated it or not.
At sixteen, Rufus discovered he didn’t like having friends.
A mission that should have gone smoothly had ended in fire and death. His father was furious at the loss of General Sephiroth, a project that had cost far too much money to go wild and die like it had. He was angry at the loss of the funds spent on it before and the money he was having to spend on it to cover the situation up.
Rufus was numbed by it. Sephiroth he cared little for. The man was as standoffish as he was, and that meant they dealt little with each other.
The town didn’t bother him either, really. They were just peons, people he never knew and would never have dealt with anyway.
Zack wasn’t coming back.
He was numb, and he knew he did not care for that feeling. Pushing it away, at least attempting to, he found he couldn’t, and he withdrew from other contact once more. It was not worth it, and he made himself cold and uncaring once more.
Zack would have disapproved. But Zack was dead, and Rufus would not let himself be taken in by a friendly smile or a lack of fear again.
At the age of 20, he found out he had been lied to, and he found anger once more. It was cold anger, and he did what he could to keep Zack and whoever it was with him alive. Though the man was not making it easier by heading for Midgar. That had to be his target, there was nothing else he could be going for.
Rufus wondered if he was coming for him.
Anger wasn’t the only emotion Rufus found.
Fear.
He did not like fear.
At the age of twenty one, Rufus Shinra found what he would control the world with.
Zack was dead again, and that tore at Rufus in a way he wasn’t sure he could deal with. It was confirmed this time, Tseng himself checking. Rufus had had them collect the body and had his first, and only, friend buried.
He had feared to lose the man again, and he had.
Fear would control everyone.
He would rule the world with fear.
Zack was not the only one buried that day. With him, as he watched the dark haired man being buried, Rufus Shinra buried his humanity with him.
Caring was for the weak, and he would never be that weak again.
It would be his last gift from Zack.
That, and a love for cookie dough.
Author: GW Katrina aka
icedark_elfFandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters/Pairing: Rufus, implied Zack/Rufus
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 742
Warnings: It's got Zack. And it's mostly canon based. Trust me, not happy.
Summary: Live is a learning curve.
A/N: I blame
qc_heartless for helping me get an addiction for Zack/Rufus, and I was so very happy when elvaron wrote Zack/Rufus for a challenge I tossed her way. So, blame them for getting me even more addicted to the shiny that is Zack/Rufus.This uses the word prompt "Cookie Dough" from the giant list o' words my flist tossed at me. Love you too, you overachievers.
Learning Curve
Rufus Shinra is being groomed.
He is being taught to look at people as things, puppets, toys, really. He will take over the company, and, when that happens, he will be taking over the world.
Mostly, he listens to his father, though he despises the man, with his gluttony and his willingness to give in on the strangest of things. That is no way to run the world. Rufus isn’t sure of any other way to do it, but he is sure that there is a better way.
He was ten when he decided he was going to find a better way.
He was fifteen when he found out he liked cookie dough.
It was startling, really. There had been yet another assassination attempt, and he found himself under guard. Not by the Turks, oh, no those were his father’s toys.
No, Rufus found himself forced to deal with loud, obnoxious SOLDIERs. He had complained, of course, and was ignored. By then, he was already wearing his typical white, accepting his place in the world.
He was used to being treated like he was special, important, and untouchable.
Then Zack started to ruffle his hair.
It was…irritating.
But he really couldn’t get rid of the man, and he refused to follow any direct orders. Zack had been injured during a monster hunt, and being one of the highest ranked SOLDIERs who were on the light injuries list, he was assigned as Rufus’s primary bodyguard.
Things continued to build until, one night, Rufus finally lost his temper at the man.
Zack had calmly looked at him, then shoved a spoonful of cookie dough into his mouth, and calmly told Rufus he wasn’t any better than anyone else and he could just deal with it. Both experiences were new.
The man was completely unafraid of him.
It…was a unique experience.
Rufus couldn’t decide if he hated it or not.
At sixteen, Rufus discovered he didn’t like having friends.
A mission that should have gone smoothly had ended in fire and death. His father was furious at the loss of General Sephiroth, a project that had cost far too much money to go wild and die like it had. He was angry at the loss of the funds spent on it before and the money he was having to spend on it to cover the situation up.
Rufus was numbed by it. Sephiroth he cared little for. The man was as standoffish as he was, and that meant they dealt little with each other.
The town didn’t bother him either, really. They were just peons, people he never knew and would never have dealt with anyway.
Zack wasn’t coming back.
He was numb, and he knew he did not care for that feeling. Pushing it away, at least attempting to, he found he couldn’t, and he withdrew from other contact once more. It was not worth it, and he made himself cold and uncaring once more.
Zack would have disapproved. But Zack was dead, and Rufus would not let himself be taken in by a friendly smile or a lack of fear again.
At the age of 20, he found out he had been lied to, and he found anger once more. It was cold anger, and he did what he could to keep Zack and whoever it was with him alive. Though the man was not making it easier by heading for Midgar. That had to be his target, there was nothing else he could be going for.
Rufus wondered if he was coming for him.
Anger wasn’t the only emotion Rufus found.
Fear.
He did not like fear.
At the age of twenty one, Rufus Shinra found what he would control the world with.
Zack was dead again, and that tore at Rufus in a way he wasn’t sure he could deal with. It was confirmed this time, Tseng himself checking. Rufus had had them collect the body and had his first, and only, friend buried.
He had feared to lose the man again, and he had.
Fear would control everyone.
He would rule the world with fear.
Zack was not the only one buried that day. With him, as he watched the dark haired man being buried, Rufus Shinra buried his humanity with him.
Caring was for the weak, and he would never be that weak again.
It would be his last gift from Zack.
That, and a love for cookie dough.
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Glad you like it. Zack/Rufus needs more love.
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I have no idea what you could be talking about... Look over there, something shiny!
*runs, leaving body shaped cloud of dust behind*
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But, ooh, shiny!
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I first came across it when me and Heartless were RPing, and we ended up just tossing them together because that was how it was heading.
And now it's all cute in my head. Cause Rufus and Zack would have the same issues that Seph and Zack would have, only Rufus is a: younger than Zack, b: raised in a slightly more normal environment than Seph.
And it's pretty.
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Though I'm not sure where the idea that he gave Zack a burial came from.
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It's crack, but it could work. That's the sad part. *nods*
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Oh dear, that sort of makes him sound like a bit of slut, doesn't it?
No, no. I mean that Zack strikes me as friendly, charming, loyal, confident, strong, and resilient enough to cope with guys with major issues. He can 'roll with the punches' and not hold a grudge about it. I think he would definitely be a sincere lover. If there's anyone who can juggle a threesome or even foursome, it would be Zack. ^_-
And it would be perfectly plausible for these FF7 guys with issues to fall in love with him, even if he drives them a bit crazy with his antics.
He reminds me of a Golden Retriever -- he's soooo lovable.
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And if you can pair him with Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris with equal ease, well, Zack is the original puppy dog, I swear. He loves just about everyone.
And I think they just sense he's going to do his best, so all the ones with issues drift his way. *pets him*
Though I do have a fic where Vincent is Zack's uncleish person. >.> I need to work on that.
Glad you liked it. Now I have at least one person who wants me to have Zackish Cloud do something that makes Rufus react somehow.
Zack, no, you don't get to possess Cloud in any way, shape, or form.
Go back to the reincarnating as Yoruichi idea, damnit.
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Yes, he's a cute, lovable puppy... but he's a SOLDIER-puppy who can whoop major ass if annoyed. And the best way to do that is to set off his protective instincts. :D
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I want one.
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I do so love my oddball sets.
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*snickers* And cloud, dealing with Rufus after AC tossing out something very Zack-ish and Rufus freezing in surprise....
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I still have mental images of Zack asking to borrow Cloud's body for a bit to get a few things out of the way, if Cloud would let him.
*smacks bunny*
I think Zack just has issues radar, and he seeks out and tries to fix them.
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Something about trying to fit four into a two person shower.....
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